In general, dreams are a novel but realistic simulation of waking social life, with a mixture of characters, motivations, scenarios, and positive and negative emotions. We propose that the sharing of dreams has an empathic effect on the dreamer and on significant others who hear and engage with the telling of the dream. Study 1 tests three correlations that are predicted by the theory of dream...
Affective experiences are central not only to our waking life but also to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep dreams. Despite our increasing understanding of the neural correlates of dreaming, we know little about the neural correlates of dream affect. Frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) is considered a marker of affective states and traits as well as affect regulation in the waking state. Here, we...
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are usually associated with positive affect, however, a small proportion are considered distressing. We aimed to look into the proportion of distressing NDEs in a sample of NDE narratives, categorise distressing narratives according to Greyson and Bush’s classification (inverse, void or hellish), and compare distressing and “classical” NDEs. Participants wrote down...
The Dream Catcher test defines the criteria for a genuine discovery of the neural constituents of phenomenal consciousness. Passing the test implies that some patterns of purely brain-based data directly correspond to the subjective features of phenomenal experience, which would help to bridge the explanatory gap between consciousness and brain. Here, we conducted the Dream Catcher test for the...
The diagnosis of a nightmare disorder is based on clinically significant distress caused by the nightmares and, therefore, empirical research should focus on studying factors that affect nightmare distress in addition to nightmare frequency. Overall, 2056 persons (1212 woman, 844 men) completed the online survey. A reliable 6-item scale measuring beliefs about nightmares was developed. The...
Study objectives: To examine the efficacy of imagery rehearsal (IR) combined with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) compared to CBT-I alone for treating recurrent nightmares in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 108 male and female United States veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with current,...
Lucid dreaming, knowing one is dreaming while dreaming, is an important tool for exploring consciousness and bringing awareness to different aspects of life. We present a proof-of-concept system called Lucid Loop: a virtual reality experience where one can practice lucid awareness via biofeedback. Visuals are creatively generated before your eyes using a deep learning Artificial Intelligence...
OBJECTIVE Childhood adversity figures prominently in the clinical histories of children and adolescents suffering from a panoply of physical, mental or sleep disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder. But the nature and prevalence of early adversity in the case of idiopathic nightmare-prone individuals have received little study. We characterize the types and frequencies of...
Sleep talking is one of the most common altered nocturnal behaviours in the whole population. It does not represent a pathological condition and consists in the unaware production of vocalisations during sleep. Although in the last few decades we have experienced a remarkable increase in knowledge about cognitive processes and behavioural manifestations during sleep, the literature regarding...
Background: Sexual abuse victims often experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including sleep disturbances. Objective: To investigate whether or not characteristics of sexual abuse are associated with sleep disturbance, and to explore whether correlates of sleep disturbance are distinguishable from those of PTSD symptom severity. Method: Forty-four adult sexual abuse...
Lucid dreaming refers to the phenomenon of becoming aware of the fact that one is dreaming during ongoing sleep. Despite having been physiologically validated for decades, the neurobiology of lucid dreaming is still incompletely characterized. Here we review the neuroscientific literature on lucid dreaming, including electroencephalographic, neuroimaging, brain lesion, pharmacological and brain...
Predictors of children's outcomes in trauma-focused interventions are well documented. However, little is known about the role of higher-order cognitive processes, specifically executive function (EF) abilities, in determining children's responses to treatments specifically for trauma-related sleep disturbances. EF is independently related to PTSD reactions, sleep deficits, and nightmares....
Brain and BehaviorMarch 2019Luca Baldelli, Olga Addimanda, Marco Burattini et al.
To investigate the prevalence of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) to ascertain if RBD could be an internal red flag signaling a fluctuating state of inflammation based on the theory of "protoconsciousness". One hundred and three patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IA were consecutively recruited. The patients underwent general (IA activity,...
DreamingMarch 1, 2019Carlo Lai, Giada Lucarelli, G. Pellicano et al.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dream recall on the neurophysiological correlates of emotional processing. The hypothesis was that dream recall will produce an increased activation of fronto-limbic areas during an emotional task. Thirty-seven women were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups. Both groups were exposed to a visual task with emotional images (positive...
This research addressed the question of why some bereaved individuals dream of the deceased whereas others do not. Two studies were conducted. In one, participants were 268 U.S. residents (150 men, 116 women, 1 other, and 1 undisclosed), with an age range of 20 to 70 (M = 33.8), who had lost a romantic partner or spouse in the previous 12 to 24 months. The second study had 162 U.S. residents...
The current study examined the validity of the Nightmare Proneness Scale (NPS; Kelly, 2018) as measuring a personality disposition that predisposes individuals to experience frequent nightmares. The NPS and measures to estimate its convergent and discriminant validity were administered to a sample of 140 university students. The convergent validity of the scale was supported through significant...
Study objectives: Growing evidence suggests that nightmares have considerable adverse effects on waking behavior, possibly by increasing post-sleep negative emotions. Dysphoric reactions to nightmares are one component of nightmare severity for which the neural correlates are unknown. Here, we investigate possible neural correlates of nightmare severity in a sample of individuals who frequently...
Mind-wandering is associated with the simultaneous activation of a network of different brain regions known formally as the default mode network. Forward looking anxious mind-wandering (or worry) occurs when activity in this network is coupled with a biological fear response in the brain. The fear response constrains the con-tent of anxious mind-wandering, with imagined catastrophised scenarios...
CNS SpectrumsFebruary 1, 2019Freddy Escobar-Montealegre, P. Brar, A. Hirsch
Abstract Introduction The association of sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is almost universal. Nightmares are not only one of the most commonly associated but also featured as a diagnostic criterion for PTSD. PTSD-related nightmares are particularly distressing, may impair functioning and increase risk of suicide. No specific pharmacologic agent has been demonstrated to...
Reports of white dreams, the feeling of having had a dream experience without being able to specify this experience any further, make up almost one third of all dream reports, yet this phenomenon-until very recently-had not yet been in the focus of targeted investigations. White dreams are typically interpreted as forgotten dreams, and are sidelined as not being particularly informative with...